


The Open Sea

by hindsight404



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Drabble, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-28
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-04-23 18:45:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4887784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hindsight404/pseuds/hindsight404
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isabela invites Merrill on an oceanic adventure, but Merrill is hesitant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Open Sea

“I’m not so sure about this, Isabela,” said Merrill to the pirate captain.

“What’s not to be sure about, kitten? The sun, the salty air, the sea, a ship, a grand adventure. How can you not be sure?” Isabela gestured to the deck of her new ship, sloshing the crimson contents of her goblet. “It’ll be the most fun you’ve had in a while.”

“I thought that following Hawke around was fun.” Merrill bit her lip.

Isabela rolled her eyes. “Well, yes, to a point. Now that he’s got Kirkwall to look after there won’t be much adventuring. And, if you like that sort of thing. Mages and templars and blowing up Chantries and such.”

“Where would we go? On our grand adventure?”

Isabela pointed to the open sea before she draped her arms over the railing so that she could stare out into the bay. “Who cares? We can go anywhere we like. You’ve seen some of the world, Merrill, so you know how big it is. We could go back to Ferelden. Orlais. Drink wine in a fancy café in Val Royeaux. Or to Tevinter. That would be interesting.”

“Tevinter? Oh… No, I don’t think I’d like to go there.”

“Why not? Your talents would be appreciated there. They might even fear you, kitten.”

Merrill twisted her hands together, unsure of the proposal that Isabela made. “I just don’t think I’d… Like it. I’m not sure, Bela. My clan is here still, even without Marethari.”

Isabela turned to face Merrill but leaned back against the railing. “Your clan hates you, Merrill. You could live for years with people who hate you or go on a grand adventure with me.” She took a long drink from her silver goblet. “We could have so much fun! Get into so much trouble!”

“I’ll have to think about it,” Merrill finally decided.

“Well, don’t wait too long, kitten. I’m not planning on staying around for too much longer. You have a couple days.”

“Okay. Um, I’ll just… Go see if Varric is at the Hanged Man. See you later, Isabela.”

There was an irresistible grin on Isabela’s face as Merrill turned to leave.

…

“I don’t know, Varric,” Merrill drunkenly vented to the dwarf, “it sounds fun, but I just don’t know.”

“Daisy, are you really going to stay here for the rest of your life?” He chuckled. “I don’t recommend it. The folks from the Chantry will descend on Kirkwall at any time. Might not be a good idea to be around here when they arrive.”

“Are you going to leave too, Varric?”

The dwarf shrugged. “For a while. I’ll make sure that Hawke and Carver have what they need. Eventually I’ll leave this dung-heap, but not today.”

“Did Fenris leave already?” Merrill asked.

“He and Sebastian took off for Starkhaven yesterday.”

“They didn’t even say goodbye.” Merrill sipped the cider from her mug and sighed. “It’s too bad about Anders.”

“Yeah, Daisy, it is. But Blondie knew what he was getting himself into. Justice might have had a hand in it though. Who knows. We’ll never know now.”

“Did… Hawke even have a ceremony for him? Or anything? A wake?”

Varric shrugged. “I don’t think so. I don’t think you get one when you blow up the Chantry.”

“It’s all so sad.”

Merrill stared down into her mug, allowing the events of the last few weeks settle in her mind. She wanted to stay, but knew Varric was right; she couldn’t stay. She had no reason to. Maybe, if things had been different with Hawke; but they weren’t and he wasn’t going to ask her to stay with him.

“Don’t be down, Daisy,” said her dwarf friend, patting her shoulder gently. “Go with Isabela. See the world. It’s your oyster now.”

She shook her head. “I need to think about it, Varric.”

“Maybe the answer is at the bottom of that mug.”

Merrill tossed back what was left of her drink and went to the bar for another.

…

“I’ll go with you, Isabela,” Merrill said to her friend, “but a few conditions.”

“Oh, and what would those be?” Isabela sat behind her desk in the captain’s cabin fiddling with a length of cord, tying knots into the rope.

“No qunari. No elves. Just you and me.”

“Well, and my crew, of course,” Isabela corrected.

“Yeah. But just them. I don’t want to…get involved in anything else. I’m done with all the stuff that Hawke dragged us into.”

Isabela sighed and looked up at Merrill, placing the rope on her desk. “I can’t make any guarantees, kitten, but whatever it takes to get you out of here.” She rose from her chair and smiled down at her elf friend. “Just you and me and the open sea, Merrill. We’ll do something fun, I promise.”

_I promise_. That was what Mahariel had told her once, many years ago. But Mahariel was gone, and so was Tamlen, and Marethari, and her old life. The open ocean was her future. It was Merrill’s new adventure. Her new promise.

**Author's Note:**

> A small drabble I wrote for a friend a while ago!


End file.
